Key Bridge collapse: Cargo ship Dali leaves Baltimore weeks after striking bridge

Three months after the Dali cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, throwing it into the Patapsco River and blocking the Port of Baltimore, the vessel left has left for Virginia.

On Monday morning, the ship left Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal with a tarp covering a hole in the bow, The Baltimore Sun reported. It will next travel to Norfolk, Virginia, where it’s expected to unload its containers and undergo repairs, according to the newspaper and WJZ-TV.

The Maryland Transportation Authority shared video of the ship leaving the area. The agency halted traffic on the Bay Bridge to allow the ship to exit.

The 947-foot ship spent weeks trapped beneath debris from the March 26 crash, which happened after the vessel lost power twice while trying to leave Baltimore, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Bureau.

Officials managed to refloat the ship and get it docked at the Port of Baltimore in May, eight weeks after the crash.

The crash claimed the lives of six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time. It also blocked access to the Port of Baltimore, a key automotive hub for the U.S. Earlier this month, officials reopened the main shipping channel to the port.

Authorities continue to investigate the March crash. Ten members of the Dali’s crew have been cleared to return home and it left Monday with a replacement crew on board, The Baltimore Banner reported. Eleven high-ranking members of the crew—10 from India and one from Sri Lanka—remain in Baltimore amid ongoing litigation connected with the collision, according to WJZ.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 15

Biden visits Baltimore after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse President Joe Biden speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., on Friday, April 5, 2024. The Biden administration urged Congress to fully fund the reconstruction of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in a letter to key lawmakers prior to his visit to the bridge wreckage on Friday. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 11

Demolition begins: Crews conduct a controlled demolition of a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the Dali container ship in Baltimore. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

© 2024 Cox Media Group